1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device having a keyboard which can be used while it is separated from the main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a portable personal computer, a computer having a keyboard which can be used while being detached from the main body to improve handiness is known.
As a personal computer of this type, a computer having the following arrangement is known. In this computer, a front portion of the upper surface of the box-like flat main body is set to be lower in level than the remaining portion so as to form a stepped portion, and a keyboard is detachably mounted in this stepped portion. When the display is closed while the keyboard is mounted in the stepped portion, the keyboard is clamped between the display and the stepped portion.
According to the computer having the above-described arrangement, when the display is closed while the keyboard is mounted in the stepped portion of the main body, and these components are to be carried as one unit, the keyboard may slide down outward from the stepped portion of the main body. For this reason, a computer of this type uses a latch mechanism for locking the display in a closed state, thereby holding the keyboard in the stepped portion.
According to such a conventional holding structure, the latch mechanism of the display has a long hook extending to an upper surface portion of the stepped portion of the main body, and an engaging/receiving portion with/from which the hook can be freely engaged/disengaged is formed at the upper surface portion, of the main body, which corresponds to the hook. In addition, a through hole is formed in the keyboard to allow the hook to slidably pass therethrough. When the display is closed while the keyboard is placed in the stepped portion, the distal end portion of the hook passes through the through hole of the keyboard to be engaged with the engaging/receiving portion with this operation, the movement of the keyboard is restrained by the hook together with the lock of the display.
Although no problems are posed in such a holding structure while the keyboard is mounted in the stepped portion, the following problem may be caused when the display is closed while the keyboard is separated from the main body. The closed display is locked upon engagement between the hook and engaging/receiving portion. However, the corner portion or shoulder portion of the stepped portion is brought into contact with an intermediate portion of the display in the forward/backward direction because the keyboard is not mounted in the stepped portion. For this reason, if the keyboard is pivoted to close it, a large stress acts on the display such that the display is bent into an L shape while the intermediate portion, located in the forward/backward direction, which is in contact with the corner portion of the stepped portion serves as a fulcrum. This stress may damage the display. Especially in recent years, since the display has been reduced in profile and rigidity with a decrease in weight, the possibility of damaging the display is high.